The Stablehand
by BraveQuark
Summary: Intended to be the first part in a series, this story attempts to rewrite parts of Regina Mills' life, beginning with her relationship with Daniel. Daniel has been gender swapped, and is a female stablehand named Danny in this story. This story will progress to a Regina Mills/Emma Swan pairing. This story is also femmeslash, and will eventually contain mature content.
1. Chapter 1- Preston

Danny brushed the gelding's coat softly, humming soothingly as she went about her work. On the surface the stable smelled of leather and soap, with a muskier, earthy smell layered heavily underneath from the sweat of the horses and their manure. It was a smell that Danny loved and had found comforting ever since she was a small child.

"I told you I don't want to go riding today, Mother!" The frustrated tones easily reached Danny's ears, and she looked down, pretending not to have heard as a pair of visitors approached the stable.

"This is not about what you may or may not want, Regina. This is about what is expected of you, and a young lady of your age and station must know how to properly ride a horse. Your father has coddled you long enough." Regina's mother, Princess Cora - the mistress of the estate - spoke calmly, but her tone was as firm as stone. Danny bit back a sigh; she hated forcing people to ride when they weren't ready.

"Good afternoon Danielle." Danny bristled slightly at the sound of her given name. "My daughter would like a riding lesson."

"Yes of course your Highness." Danny replied simply. She glanced over at Princess Regina, who was clearly fuming at this arrangement.

Cora grinned widely, as if reveling in the control she had over her daughter.

"Alright then, I trust I can leave the princess in your capable hands?" Cora studied Danny with her hands clasped in front of her impatiently.

Danny mustered a reassuring grin.

"Yes, your Highness. It's not to worry."

Cora glanced hesitantly between Danielle and Regina before nodding her assent.

"I'll leave you to it then." She said curtly, and departed.

Danny returned to brushing the gelding, attempting to ignore Regina's presence.

"I'm not riding you know." Regina said firmly, looking around nervously at the horses in their stalls.

Danny continued brushing, working down the crest and along the shoulder.

"I wouldn't dream of forcing you, your Highness." Danny said calmly. Regina's fear of horses was apparent to Danny from her body language. Although she didn't yet know the root cause of Regina's fear, it was something she had seen many times before.

"Danielle, how tall are you?" Regina asked, attempting to make conversation in order to distract herself from her surroundings. Danny paused in her work and tilted her head towards Regina.

"I don't mean to be rude, I've just never met a stable...girl before."

Danny gave her another grin. "My name's actually Danny and well, I guess I'm as tall as I need to be. My father was the stablemaster here the whole time I was growing up, and he taught me everything I know."

"What happened to him?"

Danny's grin faltered. She turned away and continued brushing.

"He died."

Danny turned back towards Regina and held out the dandy brush she was holding, pretending to be in a hurry. "Can you brush him while I check on some of the other horses?"

Flustered by the request, Regina looked at Danny with mild horror.

"It's easy, you're not going to hurt him, just brush with the grain, not against it, and you'll be alright. His name is Preston. I'll be back in a moment." Without waiting for a response, Danny stepped out of the stall and walked over to another gelding, pretending to inspect him.

Danny watched as Regina approached Preston hesitantly, her hands visibly shaking. Regina took a large, calming breath before getting within reach of the gelding.

"Hello Preston," Danny heard her say softly, "I'm Regina. Please don't trample me or...try to eat me."

She raised the dandy brush up hesitantly, pressing the stiff bristles against Preston's left shoulder and stroking downward along his dark bay coat. Preston snorted approvingly, and Regina continued her ministrations, taking her time and slowly venturing further away from his neck, eventually brushing across his flank and then down his back leg. She noticed a few tangles and snarls in his tail and set about brushing them out.

She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear Danny approach her.

"Here," Danny said, "He likes these." She held out a handful of oats. Regina glanced between Danny and Preston before taking the proffered grains. She looked back at Danny questioningly.

"Just make your palm flat and he'll take them from you. Don't you worry, he won't nip you."

Nodding, Regina did as Danny suggested and laid her palm flat, approaching Preston with the treat. As he eagerly took the oats from her hand, the motion of his lips against her palm tickled her and she tried not to laugh. When the oats were gone she wiped her hands on the front of her riding pants.

Danny smiled. "He likes oats, but this is his favorite treat." She pulled out a bright red apple from the pocket of her work coat.

"A honeycrisp?" She asked. Danny nodded.

"He has good taste. In food and people," she winked and handed the apple to Regina, "but don't let him take the whole thing at once, make him work for it."

Regina laughed and offered the apple to Preston, who bit into it with his incisors, mindful of Regina's hand. She held it out and let him take large bites, until after a few moments the apple was gone and Preston was contentedly chewing, his tongue occasionally licking her hand in search of more. She rubbed his muzzle affectionately.

Thunder rumbled distantly. Danny looked out at the strip of sky she could see from inside the stable and realized that a storm was approaching.

"You should probably head home, I'll take you if you'd like." She grabbed a riding cloak off its hook and wrapped it around Regina, pulling the hood over her head and adjusting the front clasp. She removed the wooden poles that were propping up the heavy shutters of the stable and latched them closed. She pulled the rear stable doors closed and secured them with a heavy wooden beam. Danny then moved from stall to stall, ensuring that the doors were secure. Pulling the hood of her own coat over her head she gestured to the open set of stable doors.

"Ladies first."

Regina exited and Danny followed, pushing the doors closed and once again securing them with a heavy wooden beam. By now the rain was pouring so heavily that it created a mist off the mossy earth and made it difficult for Regina to get her bearings.

"This way." Danny said loudly over the downpour. She took Regina's hand without thought and guided her across the empty horse paddock. Regina followed without hesitation, jogging at times to keep up with Danny's long, quick stride.

Danny swung open the paddock gate and pulled Regina through, not bothering to secure it behind her. She strode quickly up to the cobbled path that led to the large, almost palatial manor house where Regina and her parents lived, maintaining a gentle but secure grip on Regina's hand.

The pair passed a guard standing watch by the main wall who, recognizing Danny, merely nodded as they passed. Danny grinned, thinking that the guard must have had no idea who she was towing behind her.

Out of habit, Danny led Regina in through the servant's entrance. Before one of the male servants could complain about a stable hand tracking mud through the kitchen, Regina removed her hood and raised her hand to silence him.

"Princess Regina, I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you."

"It's quite alright..."

"Collum." He supplied.

"Collum. Please bring my things up to my rooms." She removed the heavy coat Danny had given her and handed it to him. She turned to thank Danny for escorting her but found that she had gone.


	2. Chapter 2- Tess

After a long hot bath and a change of clothes, Regina snuck downstairs to retrieve a book from the library, hoping to have a quiet evening to herself. She passed her mother almost immediately.

"Regina, there you are dear, I was almost worried. How was your riding lesson?"

"It was fine mother." Regina replied noncommittally, hoping to end the conversation as soon as possible. Her mother was very good at sussing out the details of things, and Regina knew that if they spoke for too long she would soon realize that her riding lesson had contained no actual riding.

"Fine? Why that's...marvelous darling."

"Marvelous?" Regina asked, confused.

"Normally you're full of declarations, demanding to never set foot near a stable again." Cora smiled and kissed Regina's cheek. "Thank you for being such an obedient daughter."

Regina gave her a half smile and nodded. She took the opportunity to excuse herself. "I'm heading down to the library, good night Mother."

"Good night dear, don't stay up too late." Cora said with a disinterested tone.

Regina nodded again. "I won't." She heard her mother continue up the stairs behind her. As she made her way towards the library she passed a servant in the corridor.

"Hello, Mary is it?" she guessed.

"Margaret yer Highness." the servant said kindly. The house was full of servants and it was difficult to for Regina to keep track of those she didn't see regularly.

"Margaret. Can you please stoke the fire in the library? And would you also light a few candles?" she asked politely. The servant nodded and Regina followed her.

The library was spacious but comfortable, with a large marbled fireplace at one end of the room half encircled by soft leather furniture. The fire had recently been extinguished, but a layer of hot coals remained under the ash. Regina watched as Margaret stoked the fire, exposing the coals and laying down kindling before placing several medium sized logs on top of the growing flames. Taking a long wooden stick from a bronze cone above the fireplace, Margaret bent down over the fire and ignited the tip. She cupped the flame and carefully carried it over to a candelabra on a nearby table, lighting the wicks one by one. She blew out the stick and tossed it easily into the fireplace.

"Will there be anything else ma'am?" she asked.

"Yes, could you ask the kitchen to bring up some tea? I'm going to be reading for awhile."

"Certainly ma'am." Margaret curtsied before exiting.

Regina picked up the candelabra and carried it over to one of the tall bookcases. She studied the shelves carefully before she found the book she was looking for. It was titled "Horses: Their Care and Breeding." It was a large, wide tome full of illustrations, and she carried it over to one of the leather sofas.

Margaret returned with a tray of tea and biscuits, placing it wordlessly on the table. Regina was reading intently and only vaguely acknowledged the servant's presence. Margaret poured her a cup which steamed visibly in the cold room, adding sugar and a splash of cream.

"Here you are ma'am." she said as she handed Regina the delicate ceramic cup. Regina accepted it gratefully and took a careful sip, savoring the soft lavender flavor.

"Will that be all ma'am?"

"Yes Margaret, thank you." Margaret nodded and quietly left Regina alone with her book.

Regina balanced the cup in one hand as she turned the large, heavy pages, her eyes scanning over the detailed illustrations. She came to a chapter describing various military saddles and she felt herself shudder slightly, her thoughts drifting unwillingly to a day in her early childhood she preferred to forget. She quickly turned more pages, arriving at a section on grooming.

She read late into the evening, with servants occasionally wandering in to stoke the fire and check on her. When she awoke, sunlight was streaming in through the tall windows of the library, warming her face. A blanket was wrapped loosely around her, placed by a servant earlier that morning. As she became more fully awake she realized that the storm had passed. She thought about spending time in the stables again with Danny, and she found herself smiling.

Once she was dressed and had eaten a small breakfast, she headed out. Distantly she could hear men yelling good-naturedly back and forth, and she could see that several horses were out in the paddock. She looked around for Danny and saw her in an area next to the stable, bathing a filly. She followed the wooden fence to where Danny was, keeping her distance as she warily eyed the horses being handled on the other side. She felt her heart suddenly beating faster and she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly in an attempt to calm herself. She looked over the paddock and tried to focus on Danny.

The filly Danny was bathing was a beautiful chestnut color, shorter than Preston but with a thicker tail. As Danny scrubbed, a lather built up along the filly's coat and Danny bent down frequently to rinse the soap from the brush. Her brown tunic was damp from her efforts but she didn't seem to notice. Her trousers were also damp, but the heavy material had large patches of soft brown leather stitched to the front, creating a protective layer. Her dark hair, which Regina noted was cut to a masculine length, had been tied back to keep it out of her face as she worked.

"What's her name?" Regina called out once she was within earshot. Danny looked up quizzically but grinned widely as soon as she recognized Regina.

"Tess." she called back, "and she's a stubborn girl but I guess we'll keep her." Danny pulled a treat from her pocket and fed it to Tess.

"Is that a bitless bridle?" Regina asked when she was within arms length of the filly.

"Yes it is." Danny said with surprise. "I use it with these cross ties," she gestured to the rope tethers knotted to both sides of Tess' bridle, "when I wash her so she can eat her treats and I don't have to worry about her running off on me. How'd you know that?"

"I did some... light reading last night before bed." Regina replied with a casual tone, not wanting to seem over eager.

Danny smiled enthusiastically and gestured to Tess. "Well here, I can show you how to do this if you'd like."

Regina hesitated. She had been bathed by other people her entire life, and she didn't want to look like a fool in front of Danny. Misreading her hesitation as anxiety about cleanliness, Danny smiled and tried to reassure her.

"I won't let you get too dirty, I promise." Her smile was genuine and infectious, and Regina couldn't help but return it.

She nodded her assent. "Show me what to do."

Danny fished the brush from the bucket and grabbed a bar of soap.

"First you have to get the horse wet, but as you can see Tess is already pretty soaked. Then you have two choices: you can rub the soap on the brush, or you can rub it right onto her coat. I prefer rubbing it straight on, because the brush is stiff and likes to catch little chunks of the soap, and that's just more work trying to rinse all of that off of her later." She proceeded to rub the wet soap bar across Tess' back, shoulder, and flank.

"It's really pretty simple, and not that much different from washing a person. Here," she handed Regina the brush, "scrub her just like you were brushing her last night, but don't worry about going against the grain this time. Oh, and give her one of these before you start." She handed Regina a piece of food from her pocket that looked like a deformed biscuit.

"What is this?"

"It's a horse cookie. It's my father's recipe, I have the kitchen make 'em. It's oats, apples, and carrots baked together. They love 'em and it keeps them calm, especially when new people are washing them."

Regina nodded and fed Tess the treat. "So you have to bribe them? You're in charge, can't you just...order them around?"

"Well, it takes a lot of trust to do this." Danny gestured vaguely to the stables. "We're asking these animals, who are much larger, stronger, and faster than we are, to trust us when we put water and soap on them, and scrub them with a brush. Or to trust us when we ask them to wear dead animal skins and let us sit on top of them. This is all unnatural to them, so a little harmless bribery goes a long way."

Regina started to scrub Tess with awkward, hesitant strokes. Danny chuckled behind her and Regina flushed with embarrassment.

"You're not going to hurt her," Danny said, trying to reassure her," I promise. Here, let me show you." She moved closer behind Regina and guided her hand, showing her how to brush in firm, circular strokes. Regina shiver at the unfamiliar contact and forced herself to concentrate. Once it was clear that Regina understood what to do Danny stepped away.

Regina thought about what Danny had said about trust as she scrubbed Tess, working across her back and down her flank. Then her thoughts turned to the day she learned to fear horses. Her heart started racing again and before she knew what was happening she felt Danny's strong arms wrapped around her, her voice full of concern.

"Your highness? Regina? Are you alright? Whatever it is, it's going to be fine, I promise."

Regina dropped the brush and turned around in Danny's arms. "What happened?"

"You were shaking. If I didn't know any better I would've thought you were having a fit." She stepped back slightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so bold."

Regina shook her head. "No, it's fine. Thank you. I'm not sure what happened. I was thinking about something... unpleasant, and then..."

Danny nodded in understanding. "Something happened to you didn't it?" she asked softly, "Something with a horse?"

Regina looked up at Danny with surprise and suddenly found herself holding back tears. She nodded.

Danny carefully took her hand. "Some people think that they have to bury the past. They think the only way forward is to pretend it never happened. They're just trying to protect themselves. But I think no matter what we do, it's still in there, trying to get out."

"Then what..." Regina's voice caught as she spoke, "what do we do? Will it always be like this?" She looked down defeatedly.

"I think we have to find someone we trust and try to talk about it, try to let it out. I think that's the only way."

Regina sniffled and looked up at Danny, smiling a little. "You're a big believer in trust, aren't you?"

Danny nodded. "I guess I am."

Regina looked off distantly and then let her eyes return to Danny's. "Can I trust you?"

Danny squeezed her hand gently and looked back at her, her expression serious. "Yes." she promised. After a moment she said, "Let me finish washing Tess and we'll go somewhere quieter to talk, if you want."

Regina nodded. "Yes, that would be...here let me help you." She reached for the second brush that was floating in the bucket.

She followed Danny's lead and finished scrubbing Tess' left side as Danny worked on her right. She watched as Danny retrieved a softer sponge and carefully washed the horse's face, followed by her sensitive hindquarters. Danny fetched a fresh bucket of water and slowly rinsed Tess, deftly using a sweat scraper to squeeze out any excess water from her coat. Using a clean dandy brush she combed Tess' mane neatly over to one side of her crest before brushing out her tail. When that was finished she slipped Tess another biscuit and turned to Regina.

"Thank you for your help. You did a really nice job."

Regina flushed at the unexpected praise and smiled. "You're welcome, and I'm sure I was barely passable but that's kind of you to say."

Danny grinned and shook her head. "I meant it."

Regina flushed again. "Thank you."

"Tess will be okay for at least ten minutes while she dries. I know a spot not far from here if you want to take in some fresh air that doesn't smell vaguely of horse manure."

Regina laughed. "That sounds wonderful. Lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3- Overcoming Fear

Danny led Regina down a narrow but well-trodden path through the woods that abutted the estate. The trees were thin and evenly spaced apart, having been planted there years before after the original architects logged the forest for lumber. Sunlight streamed easily through the trees, giving the forest a peaceful quality.

They soon reached a clearing, on one side of which someone had built a makeshift bench out of a fallen log. Danny sat down and gestured for Regina to do the same.

"This is one of my favorite spots," Danny said wistfully, "I come here to think sometimes, or just enjoy the quiet."

Regina listened for a moment. She could hear the wind rustling the trees, the birds and other animals calling to each other, the distant churning of a creek, and the buzzing of the occasional flying insect.

"It doesn't seem very quiet to me." she teased.

"Well," Danny conceded, "It's a kind of quiet. The kind that doesn't involve being at the beck and call of other people."

"Is that how you think of your position here?" Regina asked with concern.

Danny shook her head. "Not really, no. I love my work, I love the horses, and I'm lucky to be entrusted with the responsibilities I've been given, especially considering my age and my... "she gestured down at herself, "my sex. Your father has been very kind to me, and I owe him a debt for that. He could have tossed me aside after my father died, or asked me to work in the kitchens with the other female servants. Instead, he made me his new stablemaster and I get to do what I love."

"I never got to know your father." Regina said with regret. "I met him briefly a few times, and I'm sure I saw you once or twice, but I've been avoiding the stables for so long I hardly paid attention. Now that I'm fifteen and likely to be married soon, my mother has put her foot down and demanded that I learn to ride. She doesn't care about my feelings, or if she does they certainly aren't as important as her desire for status." She was holding back tears now, and she felt Danny lightly touch the middle of her back.

"Tell me what happened." Danny said softly.

Regina sniffled. "I'm not sure it would help."

"My father always said that the only way to overcome fear is to face it." Danny took her hand and squeezed it gently. "You can trust me."

Regina closed her eyes. After a few moments she said, "I was very young when it happened. There was a military parade, you know the kind with foot soldiers and cavalry?" Danny nodded. Some of the horses she had trained had gone on to ride as part of the King's cavalry.

"There was an accident with the fireworks. I remember thinking at first that it was all quite fun, all the sparks of light everywhere. But it was so loud, and it spooked some of the horses. They panicked and tried to get away." She squeezed Danny's hand firmly. "One of the men tried to stop them and they knocked him aside like he was toy soldier. My father pulled me to safety, but I saw them trample a little boy who had been standing next to me." Her voice strained as she spoke and she wiped her eyes, unable to hold back her tears. "The hooves cracked open his skull and I saw..." she shuddered, "It just came pouring out."

"I'm so sorry Regina."

"I felt so weak after that." Regina shook her head in frustration. "Why did I choose to live with this irrational fear, when everyone else - my mother, my father - they just moved on like nothing had happened? Is there something wrong with me?"

"I don't think so." Danny said with conviction. "You were a child, just like that boy. If your father hadn't been thinking quickly it could've just as easily been you. There's nothing irrational about that."

"I'm not a child anymore." she protested.

"You may be older," Danny countered, "but those horses haven't gotten much smaller. We're all afraid of the things we don't understand, or things we can't control. When my father died..." she trailed off. Regina squeezed her hand supportively. "When he died and I couldn't do anything about it, I felt..."

"Helpless."

Danny nodded and looked down sorrowfully. "Yeah."

Wanting to comfort her, Regina leaned in and kissed her cheek. Surprised by this gesture, Danny tried not to smile. They sat quietly for a long while, neither letting go of the other's hand. Regina spoke first.

"We should head back, I don't want poor Tess to have to stand there all day waiting for us."

When they arrived back at the stables they found that Tess had been returned to her stall by one of the other stablehands. Regina followed Danny into a different stable than the one she had been in the previous evening.

"This is where we keep the mares and the fillies." Danny explained as they walked. "The stable over there is for the colts and the stallions. Your father sold most of them recently to King Leopold. He's a very keen on horse racing, apparently." She said the last part with obvious irritation.

"You're not fond of horse racing?"

Danny shrugged. "I'm not enthusiastic about anything that puts an animal in danger for no good reason."

"What about when you train horses for the cavalry?"

Danny thought for a moment. "I suppose I have to hope that if they go to war it will be for a noble cause."

They walked into the stable and Danny approached Tess' stall. Regina could see that she'd already been groomed. Danny pulled a treat from her pocket and fed it to her. "Hi girl," she said as she inspected the filly, "someone did a good job brushing you, huh? I bet it was Thomas." She rubbed her hand along Tess' neck, patting her affectionately.

Regina stood there among the mares and fillies and tried to take it all in. She could see that a mare in one of the larger stalls had a foal with her, which was contentedly nursing on its mother. She noticed that the smell of the place, although still pungent, was one that she was already getting used to. As she stood there watching Danny care for these animals, she realized that she felt no fear.

"Danny?" The unsure tone of her voice startled Danny, and she turned and looked at Regina with concern.

"Yes your Highness?"

"Will you teach me to ride tomorrow?"

Danny gave her a gentle grin. "Of course I will."


End file.
